Trip to Milan - 21st November

Another trip to visit a supplier, this time flying to Milan. I know get me and my jetsetter lifestyle. Obviously it was hard work pretty much the entire time. One night out in Bergamo though did mean I get to sample the local Milanese cuisine and their hospitality. After asking if there was anything on the menu that could be considered a Milan speciality dish I ordered the ossobuco, milanese veal.

Having eaten twice my weight in food, I had to decline the traditional italian coffee at the end of the meal. And by coffee, I mean the shot kind. Our hosts took amusement at our coffee drinking ways. Latte and cappicinos are breakfast to them. Drinking them after 10am is seen as barmy behaviour!

Since we didn't take coffee our hosts felt the need to offer us something stronger still. Looking at our Italian counterparts faces and the bottles of whiskey that were displayed around the restaurant I knew I couldn't decline the offer this time.

What I wasn't expecting was a bottle of Grappa half my height to be wheeled out. It felt like most the restaurant had turned to stare at the English girl attempt to drink a shot of their rocket fuel. In grand ceremony style a couple of shots were poured for me and one of my hosts. A proper event, photo's were insisted on.





I don't think they could believe I downed it without wincing or eyes watering. Turns out whiskey prepares you for most alcoholic surprises.

Dallas 3rd - 7th November 2007

I went on a work trip to Dallas, Texas this week. Staying in the Galleria Hotel and shopping Centre.







This ice skating rink was on the bottom floor of the shopping centre. My hotel room overlooked it so that on Saturday night I could see all skaters having a disco. And every morning we ate our breakfast in the corner bakery with this view. With little kids, in costume, practising their routines.



If you are ever in Dallas, I can recommend all of the places we ate at. Sushi Samba, for good cocktails and sushi at the bar. Steel's and Houston's for good restaurant eating. And if you're ever at the Galleria, then try out the Grand Lux Cafe. It's part of a chain, and is built in a grand art deco fashion, apparently based on a Venetian theme. I loved it. It had the best slow roasted short ribs and has great wines to choose from like the Francis Coppola's.



Possibly the most scary thing I saw was the giant store American Girl. Nothing can prepare an English person for what lies in this shop, (sorry store.) Masses of american women buying their daughters dolls that look like them, with hair and skin colour matching. They then buy matching outfits for their daughters and the dolls. And when I say daughters, you'd imagine I was talking about 2 to 6 maybe 7 years old wouldn't you? There were a few of these, but an unhealthy amount of teenage girls, with matching dolls. Apparently promoting Good, Wholesome, American Values, I could see the appeal to the parents. But I couldn't understand why so many teenagers were there. All in all the weirdest place I've been in a long time.

Oh and did I mention there was Hair Salon for Dolls there. Oh and you could book seats at the American Girl bistro. Tables complete with seating for you, your daughter and her doll! That's right there are seats at the table for the dolls. Truly bizarre.



I did have a little bit of time to do some of my own shopping, so I bought plenty of Dallas souvenirs, magnets, snow globes, a Dallas Cowboys jumper and all the usual tat.

The only thing I hadn't managed to get by the time we were ready to head for the plane home was the one thing I really wanted, a Stetson. With an hour spare until check in time, we were taken to Cavenders Boot City. Cowboy heaven. 15 minutes later I was the proud owner of a Rodeo King Cowboy Hat. Now all I had to do was get it on the plane...

I had 2 options really, ditch the huge box and wear the hat through customs. Mmmm, since technically this was a present for Tim and his hat size, it was going to look a little silly on my head, being as I'm a bit smaller than he is. And he'd probably appreciate the gift in it's box. So I plumped for option 2, risking taking it on as an extra piece of luggage and hope they didn't charge me for it.

Far from charging me for it, I got nothing but jokey remarks from everyone as I went from check in to the plane. Even when all my items got jammed in the x-ray machine, and one lone shoe made it out, all I was given was advice as to how to store it when I got it home. Always upside down in case you wondered. It's seen as bad luck to store it the right way up. That and it keeps it's shape better the wrong side up.

Bloomsbury Bowling Ali

On Saturday it was Ali's Birthday party, starting with drinks around at hers and Craig’s new flat. Tim and I arrived mid afternoon in order to get a sneaky peak at their new surroundings and enjoy a bowl of homemade Chilli aka “Craig Con Carne.” Whilst the boys went off to Monkey Chews for a swift few pints, me and Ali drank our way through 2 bottles of very nice, cheap wine from the off-licence below, whilst getting ready for the evening to begin.

It was arranged for everyone to meet at the flat, prior to heading to the Perseverance on Lamb Conduit’s Street. By the time we all piled into the taxi to get us there, we were definitely on the giggly side of drunk. We’d purchased snacks for the journey. I went for Frazzles. Rose went for a packet of Bombay Mix, and on Tim’s suggestion went for the packet where the food looked slightly more day-glo, it turned out to be a lot stronger than she was used to. There ensued a very funny, very long discussion over whether it was possible to buy non-spicy Bombay Mix.

At the pub we sat with a few locals, and a woman whose child was in Great Ormond Street Hospital just around the way, and had a pleasant chat until it was time to head for the Bloomsbury Bowling Alley. The club night this week was Casino Royale, the same night that they have up at the Barfly in Chalk Farm.

Big grin and a big gin from the Birthday Girl!









The big love in begins....








(Photograph by Sonia©)

With the chocolates that Pete bought looking a little worse for wear than we did, Ali decided to tackle the big box of delicious chocs.

Decisions decisions...





Hurry up dear...





This is how you do it...



Since the queue at the bar was bordering on the ridiculous, (I was there for 30 minutes trying to get served and neither person beside me had been served either.)

There was only one answer to the problem... buy in bulk. That means 2 white russians per person on every trip, with maybe an extra beer each too.

Or...


















After many hours drinking, (did we start at around 5?) we had our bowling alley booked for 1am. Playing in pairs, at this point in the evening, was always going to be messy. Drinks were spilled. Team partners forgotten. Glasses broken, and not stollen.





No one seems to remember who won, though I do remember celebrating coming a surprising second; a position won more or less by my team mate Craig with only hinderance from me.

Then before you know it, it was home time. We staggered our way from Bloomsbury to Camden, before catching buses in our relevant directions.

Just time for pole dancing on Euston Road...







And be nice to your buildings, hug a wall today.